Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41880298›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in preschool children with congenital heart defects: A case-control study using Ages & Stages Questionnaire.

Simone Hansen, Cathrine Vedel, Jesper Steensberg, Gorm Greisen, Line Rode, Charlotte Kvist Ekelund, Niels Vejlstrup, Karin Sundberg, Olav Bjørn Petersen, Ditte S Jørgensen

Abstract read
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Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Simone HansenCenter of Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology, Fertility, and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2059-7710
Cathrine VedelCenter of Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology, Fertility, and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jesper SteensbergDepartment of Pediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Gorm GreisenDepartment of Pediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8042-3262
Line RodeDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Charlotte Kvist EkelundCenter of Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology, Fertility, and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Niels VejlstrupDepartment of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Karin SundbergCenter of Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology, Fertility, and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Olav Bjørn PetersenCenter of Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology, Fertility, and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ditte S JørgensenCenter of Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology, Fertility, and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo investigate neurodevelopmental outcome in preschool children with a CHD (congenital heart defect) requiring surgery compared to healthy controls. MATERIALS AND

methodsThis study includes all Danish children born between 2016-2018 who underwent surgery within the first year for Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), atrioventricular septal defect, coarctation of the aorta, double outlet right ventricle, tetralogy of fallot, and Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA). Exclusion criteria: preterm birth (<37 weeks), twins, and genetic aberrations. Cases were matched with two to four healthy controls on age, sex, gestational age at delivery, and region of birth. Neurodevelopmental outcome at 33-60-months was assessed by the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Comparisons were performed by the Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression analysis and presented as p-values and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

resultsThere were no differences in ASQ score between 105 cases with any CHD (230 (IQR 195-260)) and 179 controls (235 (IQR 205-265)), p = 0.12. Cases had five-fold increased odds of a low score compared to controls after adjusting for maternal educational level and children's age at ASQ completion (OR 5.02, 95% CI 1.49;16.90). This was primarily driven by cases with prenatally undetected VSD, where 20% scored below -2 standard deviations. No differences were found across individual CHD subgroups. In cases with prenatally undetected TGA, the total ASQ score was 185 (IQR 145-190) compared to 220 (IQR 190-270) in prenatally detected TGA, p = 0.08.

conclusionsThe overall ASQ score in children with surgically corrected CHD was comparable to controls. However, cases had five-fold increased odds of a low score, primarily driven by children with prenatally undetected VSD. Additionally, ASQ scores were lower in TGA cases, especially when undetected prenatally, though not significant. These findings suggest follow-up of all children with a CHD requiring surgery including awareness of potential developmental delays.

Indexed as

Heart Defects, CongenitalCase-Control StudiesChild, PreschoolDenmarkFemaleHumansMaleNeurodevelopmentSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID41880298
PMCPMC13016293

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.